Nipple-applying tool



Jan. 27, 1942. EIA, D LPH 2,271,064

NIPPLE-APPLYING- TOOL `Fild April 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvENToR um a. 00AM..

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE:v

NIPPLE-APPLmG rooL Edward A'. Dolph, Newburgh, N. Y.

Application April 6, 1939, Serial No. 266,264

2 Claims.

This invention relates to implements for applying elastic nipples to nursing bottles, and has for its object to provide an improved construction of expanding tongs by which the nipple may be engaged and expanded and drawn over the lip of the nursing bottle Without contact of the nipple with the hands.

Standard practice requires the sterilizing of the nipple in boiling water before being applied to the nursing bottle. The improved tongs which form the subject matter of the present application are preferably of metallic construction which may be sterilized by boiling in water. The tongs may then be employed to lift the nipple from the boiling water in which it is sterilized. A special feature of the construction resides in the provision of a retaining member which operates automatically upon expansion of the tongs to prevent the nipple from accidental escape from the tongs in the act of expanding the nipple and applying it to the nursing bottle, which accident woul-d naturally require a repetition of the cleaning and sterilizing process.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved tongs.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, and

Figure 3 a side elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail cross section, in somewhat enlarged scale, of the hinged joint of the tongs, taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 are views showing in successive stages the use of the tongs in engaging a nipple and applying it to the nursing bottle.

Many constructions are possible within the principles of the invention, but the embodiment shown will suffice for illustration and to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the tongs comprise a pair of tong members 20, 2| above the plane of which extend the upturned ngers 22, 23, preferably of rounded or arcuate transverse section to conform approximately with the inner contour of the nipple. The tong member 28 has welded or otherwise secured to it, at an intermediate portion of its length, a U-shaped strap 24 which fits over a somewhat similar U-shaped strap 25 secured on the tong member 2|. A hinge pin 26 of rivet construction, as shown in detail in Figure 4, passes through perforations in the overlapping portions of the U-shaped tions together.

straps, 24 and 25 to constitute a hinge for the tong members. A perforated spacing disc 21 is mounted on the hinge pin 26 to prevent deformation of the U-shaped straps 24 and 25 at the hinge.

With the construction thus far described, it is apparent that closing of the handle portions of the tongs expands the linger portions and opening of the handle portions brings the finger por- It is equally obvious that when the linger members are closed or contracted, they may be inserted into the base of the nipple, and upon compressing the handle of the tongs the nipple will be expanded by the opening of -the ngers within the nipple.

To prevent accidental escape of the nipple from the expanding tongs, I provide an outside abutment member against which a wall of the nipple is confined by the expanding action of the tongs. A satisfactory and preferred construction of this member is clearly shown in Figures 1 to 4. In principle, it comprises the provision of a rather stiff but somewhat resilient rod 28 mounted in position to be engaged by, for example, the finger 23 of the tong member 2| during the expanding action. Since there must be relative motion between finger 23 and the rod or abutment 28, this rod is advantageously mounted rigidly with respect to the opposite tong member 20. This I accomplish, for example, by welding or otherwise securing the fixed end of the rod in an extension 29 of the U-shaped strap 24, which as previously explained is fixed to the tong member 20. A convenient mounting is provided by rolling the end of the U-shaped strap 24 over the xed end of the rod 28, or otherwise forming the end of the strap so as to constitute a seat or socket for the rod. Welding or riveting may, of course, be employed as an alternative or additional expedient. In this way it will be seen that the rod 28 tends to remain in approximately iixed parallel relation with the tong member 20, so that in the opening and closing of the tongs the nipple-engaging nger 23 will approach and recede from the outer end of the rod.

Referring to Figures 5 to 11, the employement of the implement will be readily understood. Figure 5 represents the insertion of the closed tongs into the mouth of the nipple, Figure 6 shows the expansion of the tongs to expand the nipple and bring into play the locking engagement of the nipple between the finger 23 and the rod 28. Figures 7 and 8 show a positioning of the expanded nipple under the lip of the nursing bottle. Figure 9 illustrates the stretching of the nipple to bring the opposite edge down over the neck of the bottle. Figure shows the nipple completely mounted on the bottle, and Figure 11 shows the tilting or rocking of the tongs to withdraw the linger member 22 from the nipple, and this of course is followed by the withdrawal of the finger member 23. During the entire operation up to the final removal of the nger 23, the nipple, once it is expanded by opening the tongs, is rmly held in the grip of the nger 23 and rod 28. After the linger 22 has been withdrawn, the nipple may be released from this locking engagement to facilitate the withdrawing of the nger member 23.

In the operations described, the extended area of bearing surface between the U-shaped strap 24 and the U-shaped strap 25 prevents distortion of the tong members out of their common plane. The somewhatI undercut rear edges of the fingers 22 and 23 should, of course, be carefully rounded or smoothed to avoid damage to the nipple. This undercut construction reduces the tendency of the nipple to escape from the tongs in the act of drawing it over the lip of the bottle. A further detail of importance in the form of the fingers 22 and 23 resides in the tapering of the finger from the base toward the outer or upper edge, which construction reduces the difficulty of sliding the fingers out from under the nipple after the latter has been applied on the bottle. As previously explained, the removal of the fmgers from the nipple is ordinarily accomplished by rocking the tongs to rst lower the finger 22 and remove it from the nipple. In this operation, the rounding of one or both of the fingers, more particularly finger 22 at its outer and lower edge where it merges into the lower edge of the tong member on which it is disposed, avoids to a large extent the obstruction of this downward rocking movement by contact with the neck of the bottle.

I claim:

1. An implement for applying elastic nipples to nursing bottles, comprising a pair of tong members pivotally connected at an intermediate point and provided at one end with nipple-expanding fingers projecting upward from the plane of the tong members to internally engage the nipple and transversely expand it upon actuating the tong members on their pivotal axis, and an outer abutment member rigidly mounted with respect to one of said tong members and extending into the outward path of the nipple-expanding finger on the other of said tong members to grip the nipple wall between said nipple-expanding finger and said abutment member while the nipple is held expanded by the said fingers.

2. An implement for applying elastic nipples to nursing bottles, comprising a pair of tong members having nipple-expanding fingers projecting upward from the plane of the tong members at one end, a pair of U-shaped straps, one fixedly secured to each tong member at an intermediate point and the two overlapping each other between the tong members, a pivot member pivotally securing together overlapped portions of said straps, and a rod-like member fixedly secured to onev of said U-shaped straps and extending above the plane of said tong members and into the outward path of the nipple-expanding finger on the tong member to which the other of said straps is fixedly secured, to compressively hold the nipple wall against Said finger when the nipple-engaging ngers are spread apart to expandvthe nipple.

EDWARD A. DOLPH. 

